The van's ride was the biggest surprise. My experience with commercial vehicles prepared me for some harshness over bumps and uneven road services, but the Sprinter proved opposite to my preconceived expectations. To say it was merely smooth would be doing it an injustice. Rather its long wheelbase and heavy curb weight combined with an independent front suspension to iron out road imperfections almost entirely. Even in the back seats, where I had previously spent a few trips being chauffeured around the Detroit area as a passenger, its ride is superb.
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| To say the Dodge Sprinter was merely smooth would be doing it an injustice. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
It's quiet back there too, with none of the droning and drumming sounds common in commercial vans. Also, compared to the cab and chassis people haulers I regularly get shuttled to and from airport parking lots in, with their slapped together plastic rear sections creaking and groaning throughout the journey, the Sprinter gave me the feeling of solidity. I felt safer, and without a doubt was. I wouldn't think the plastic vans would hold up well in a rollover, nor if broadsided by a large vehicle.
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| I found the Sprinter's turning circle made it incredibly easy to maneuver around the city, despite its XXXL length and width. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
What makes the Sprinter even safer is its adept handling, helping it avoid an accident in the first place. While obviously not as agile as a Viper or SRT-4, in its commercial class I would put real money on Dodge's full-size van walking away from the competition when curves take over the road. One of the reasons is its power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, engineered for a front axle load of 1,996 kg (4,400 lbs). It offers more direct feel than many of today's sedans, with less deadness at center.
While I didn't have the opportunity to test it out on a winding backcountry road, I found its turning circle made it incredibly easy to maneuver around the city, despite its XXXL length and width. After doing a little research I found out why. The midsize wheelbase version that I was driving boasted a 12.8 m (42 ft) turning radius, incredibly tight considering its overall size. Incidentally the short wheelbase version takes only 11.2 m (36.75 ft) to complete a circle while the longest wheelbase Sprinter needs 14.3 m (46.9 ft). That made it possible to settle into my test drive without having to concentrate on the vehicle itself. That's good, as I was able to focus on the road ahead instead.